Networking in the Business Environment, MIS 420/520

(TR 5- 6:15 p.m., SH102)

SYLLABUS - Fall 1997

Number and Title of Course: MIS 420/520 - Networking in the Business Environment
Instructor: Dr. Wayne Summers Office: SCA207B (phone: 454-3230 or 454-3295)
Office Hours: MWF: 9-9:50 a.m. TR: 4-4:50 p.m. or by appointment
e-mail: summers_wayne@ColumbusState.edu
homepage: http://csc.ColumbusState.edu/summers

Catalog Description of Course: An introduction into the use and role of LANs in the business environment. The course discusses the function of file servers in the LAN environment and provides hands-on experience. (3 credits).

Course Prerequisite: none.
Required Textbook:

  1. Networking for Dummies, 2nd Edition by Doug Lowe, IDG Books, 1996, ISBN: 1-56884-618-5
  2. other readings from the Internet
  3. business and computer trade journals and periodicals

General Objectives

  1. To provide a unified view of the field of computer networking.
  2. To discuss various network architectures and protocols.
  3. To introduce the students to several networking models.
  4. To present several Local Area Networks like Novell's Netware, UNIX networks, Windows peer-to-peer and Windows NT.

Specific Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:

  1. connect computers in a local area network
  2. work in a Windows peer-to-peer network environment
  3. work in a Windows NT network environment
  4. work in a Netware network environment
  5. connect and use a modem
  6. use the Internet as an example of a WAN
  7. understand the OSI model
  8. Be comfortable with the vast array of terms and concepts in data networking.

Major Topics
 PART I: The Absolute Basics (A Network User's Guide)

  1. Network Basics
  2. Life on the Network
  3. Using a Network Printer
  4. Mr. McFeeley's Guide to E-Mail
  5. Help! The Network's Down!
    PART II: Build Your Own Network
  6. Planning Ahead
  7. Which Network Should I Use?
  8. Planning Your Servers
  9. Cables, Adapters, and Other Stuff
  10. Putting It Together
    PART III: Network Management
  11. Network Manager's Job Description
  12. Network Security
  13. Network Performance
  14. Protecting Network Data
  15. Network Maintenance
    PART IV: Cool Things You Can Do with Your Network
  16. Connecting to the Internet
  17. Creating an Intranet
    PART V: The Parts of Tens
  18. Ten Big Network Mistakes
  19. Ten Networking Commandments
  20. Ten Things You Should Keep in the Closet
  21. Ten Network Gizmos Only Big Networks Need
  22. OSI Model
  23. Networking Windows 3.1 & Windows 95
  24. Networking Macintoshes
  25. Netware

Instructional Methods and Techniques

  1. The class will meet for two One hour & fifteen minute lecture/discussion periods. These classes will be held in a computer lab.
  2. The course may also include lectures by invited speakers and visits to local industries and research labs.
  3. The labs should stress hands-on applications by the students.
  4. The course will also include reports from the students on various wide-area network systems in business.

Assignments for Course

  1. Readings from the textbooks.
  2. Outside reading from popular business, computing and network periodicals like Wall Street Journal, Business Week, PC World, Forbes, Fortune, PC Week, Byte, ComputerWorld, Data Communications, Datamation etc.
  3. Readings from documents found on the Internet and/or other networks.
  4. Lab assignments may include -
    1. Installing a Network Card
    2. installing a modem and connecting to a BBS
    3. using the Internet for e-mail, ftp, and accessing the web
    4. installing a peer-to-peer network
    5. setting up a client and using Netware
    6. setting up a client and using Windows NT
    7. maintaining a Windows NT server
Evaluation
  1. Midterm and Final Exams over the lectures and readings consisting of both non-essay and essay questions.
  2. Homework including lab assignments and weekly quizzes on material discussed in class and lab. Many of the quizzes will be done online. Students would be expected to summarize their readings in a weekly journal. These journals should be submitted electronically using the campus e-mail system. Students will also be expected to take part in discussions on the class's Listserver.
  3. Networking project - preferably hands-on but may be replaced by a term paper / report on an emerging topic in computer networks
  4. Graduates students will be expected to complete an additional project.
Attendance: Class attendance is the responsibility of the student, and it is the student's responsibility to independently cover any material s/he may miss. Class attendance and participation may also be used in determining grades. You should attend all sessions!! Attendance will be taken. You will be expected to visit at least one instructor during each half of the semester.

Course Evaluation:
 Lab assignments & weekly homework assignments = 300 - 400 pts.
Weekly quizzes (10 pts each) = 100 - 150 pts.
attendance and class participation = 50 pts.
Research project and presentation = 100 pts.
MidTerm = 100 pts.
1 FINAL EXAM = 200 pts.

Grades may be determined according to this scale (approximate) :
A 90% - 100% B 80% - 89%
C 65% - 79% D 55% - 64%

Late Assignments and Makeup Exams: Late assignments will not be accepted. Homework must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. Friday each week. Quizzes will be each Friday and can not be made up. Makeup exams will be given only if the instructor is notified IN ADVANCE of the exam with a legitimate reason for missing the exam. Quizzes cannot be made up.

Honor Policy: Cheating will not be tolerated. Any student caught cheating will be given a zero on the assignment or exam. Repeat offenders will be given an F for the course and may suffer expulsion from the university. All work must be your own. You may discuss the material in the course and help one another, however, I expect any work you hand in for a grade to be your own. Plagiarism will result in, at best, an "F" for the assignment. A simple way to avoid inadvertent plagiarism is to talk about the assignments, but don't read each other's work or write solutions together. Keep scratch paper and old versions of assignments until after the assignment has been graded and returned to you. If you have any questions about this, please see me immediately.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR MIS 420/520: Networking in the Bus. Environ. (tentative)
  Lecture topic Chapters Lab Topic
Week 1: Network Basics
Mr. McFeeley's Guide to E-Mail		 1
4		 e-mail
WWW
Week 2: Life on the Network
Connecting to the Internet		 2
16		 Internet
Week 3: Using a Network Printer
Help! The Network's Down!		 3
5		 Printing
Week 4: Planning Ahead
Cables, Adapters, and Other Stuff 		6
9		 Hardware
Week 5: Putting It Together
Which Network Should I Use?		 10
7		 Hardware
Week 6: Planning Your Servers
Networking Windows 3.1		 8
24		 Win 3.1
Week 7: Network Manager's Job Description 11 Win 95
Week 8: Network Security
MIDTERM EXAM		 12
 		 Win NT Client
Week 9: Network Performance 13 Win NT Server
Week 10: Protecting Network Data 14 Netware
Week 11: Network Maintenance 15 Netware
Week 12: Creating an Intranet
Dial-up, Sharing Devices, etc.		 17
18		 Netware
Week 13: Ten Big Network Mistakes
Ten Networking Commandments		 19
20-21		 Modems
Week 14: Ten Network Gizmos
OSI Model		 22
23		 Modems
Week 15: Networking Macintoshes
Utility Programs
Network Buzzwords		 25
26
27

 
Week 16: FINAL EXAM - Wed, Dec 10 8 a.m.